4/7/12

I was a little surprised to see this on their website (very demotivational.com) because its not often Bible characters are displayed in anything but an irreverent manner. Elijah controlled fire by the power of God. Simple concept with a not-so-simple power. How? Only the God of heaven knows. But, Elijah was given that power to confront the Baal gods and that is what really is important. Here is the SECOND TIME (see also 1 Kings chapter 18) God uses Elijah to confront the Baal's with fire...

WEB: I Kings Chapter 22

[51] Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. [52] He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin. [53] He served Baal, and worshiped him, and provoked to anger Yahweh, the God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

WEB: II Kings Chapter 1

[1] Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. [2] Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper room that was in Samaria, and was sick. So he sent messengers, and said to them, “Go, inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I will recover of this sickness.”

[3] But the angel of Yahweh said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and tell them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you go to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? [4] Now therefore thus says Yahweh, “You shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.”’” Elijah departed.

[5] The messengers returned to him, and he said to them, “Why is it that you have returned?”

[6] They said to him, “A man came up to meet us, and said to us, ‘Go, return to the king who sent you, and tell him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel, that you send to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”’”

[7] He said to them, “What kind of man was he who came up to meet you, and told you these words?”

[8] They answered him, “He was a hairy man, and wearing a leather belt around his waist.”

He said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”

[9] Then the king sent a captain of fifty with his fifty to him. He went up to him; and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. He said to him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down!’”

[10] Elijah answered to the captain of fifty, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” Fire came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

[11] Again he sent to him another captain of fifty and his fifty. He answered him, “Man of God, the king has said, ‘Come down quickly!’”

[12] Elijah answered them, “If I am a man of God, let fire come down from the sky, and consume you and your fifty!” The fire of God came down from the sky, and consumed him and his fifty.

[13] Again he sent the captain of a third fifty with his fifty. The third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and begged him, and said to him, “Man of God, please let my life, and the life of these fifty your servants, be precious in your sight. [14] Behold, fire came down from the sky, and consumed the two former captains of fifty with their fifties. But now let my life be precious in your sight.”

[15] The angel of Yahweh said to Elijah, “Go down with him. Don’t be afraid of him.”

He arose, and went down with him to the king. [16] He said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Because you have sent messengers to inquire of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron, is it because there is no God in Israel to inquire of his word? Therefore you shall not come down from the bed where you have gone up, but shall surely die.’”

[17] So he died according to the word of Yahweh which Elijah had spoken. Jehoram began to reign in his place in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son.

The northern kingdom of Israel, Edom and Judah had made a confederation in order to subdue Moab after the division of Israel into two countries. But, when Ahaziah was injured he inquired of Baal Zebub, the god of Ekron instead of Yahweh. He did this because he followed the Baal's instead of Yahweh. Bad move!!! Elijah pronounced the word of God to Ahaziah and his fate was sealed. However, Ahaziah wanted to show his power and three times sent men to confront Elijah (and his God). Elijah's God given power to control fire destroyed two of the groups of fifty, but the third one was spared through their contrite submission. Bottom line... Ahaziah died; end of story. It could have been different if Ahaziah had turned from the Baal's to Yahweh. But then we wouldn't have Elijah working a miracle, would we? After all, calling down fire from heaven is pretty impressive isn't it? Better than anything Hollywood can come up with, to be sure!!!!

Num 5:2 "Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, and everyone who has an issue, and whoever is unclean by the dead.

Num 5:3 Both you shall put male and female outside of the camp; that they not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell."

Num 5:4 The children of Israel did so, and put them out outside of the camp; as Yahweh spoke to Moses, so did the children of Israel.

Num 5:5 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num 5:6 "Speak to the children of Israel: When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Yahweh, and that soul is guilty;

Num 5:7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done, and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty.

Num 5:8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Yahweh shall be the priest's; besides the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him.

Num 5:9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his.

Num 5:10 Every man's holy things shall be his: whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his."

Num 5:11 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num 5:12 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: If any man's wife goes astray, and is unfaithful to him,

Num 5:13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and is kept close, and she is defiled, and there is no witness against her, and she isn't taken in the act;

Num 5:14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she is defiled: or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife, and she isn't defiled:

Num 5:15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory.

Num 5:16 The priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh;

Num 5:17 and the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water.

Num 5:18 The priest shall set the woman before Yahweh, and let the hair of the woman's head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse.

Num 5:19 The priest shall cause her to swear, and shall tell the woman, 'If no man has lain with you, and if you haven't gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse.

Num 5:20 But if you have gone astray, being under your husband, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband:'

Num 5:21 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, 'Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell;

Num 5:22 and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.' The woman shall say, 'Amen, Amen.'

Num 5:23 "The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out into the water of bitterness.

Num 5:24 He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

Num 5:25 The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the meal offering before Yahweh, and bring it to the altar.

Num 5:26 The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water.

Num 5:27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled, and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away: and the woman will be a curse among her people.

Num 5:28 If the woman isn't defiled, but is clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.

Num 5:29 "This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled;

Num 5:30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall execute on her all this law.

Num 5:31 The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity."

Num 6:1 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num 6:2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh,

Num 6:3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.

Num 6:4 All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

Num 6:5 "All the days of his vow of separation there shall no razor come on his head, until the days are fulfilled, in which he separates himself to Yahweh. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long.

Num 6:6 "All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.

Num 6:7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because his separation to God is on his head.

Num 6:8 All the days of his separation he is holy to Yahweh.

Num 6:9 "If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day he shall shave it.

Num 6:10 On the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Num 6:11 The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day.

Num 6:12 He shall separate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

Num 6:13 "This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting,

Num 6:14 and he shall offer his offering to Yahweh, one male lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb a year old without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

Num 6:15 and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings.

Num 6:16 The priest shall present them before Yahweh, and shall offer his sin offering, and his burnt offering.

Num 6:17 He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering, and its drink offering.

Num 6:18 The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.

Num 6:19 The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite, after he has shaved the head of his separation;

Num 6:20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Yahweh. This is holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that the Nazirite may drink wine.

Num 6:21 "This is the law of the Nazirite who vows, and of his offering to Yahweh for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to his vow which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation."

Num 6:22 Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

Num 6:23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.' You shall tell them,

Num 6:24 'Yahweh bless you, and keep you.

Num 6:25 Yahweh make his face to shine on you, and be gracious to you.

Num 6:26 Yahweh lift up his face toward you, and give you peace.'

Num 6:27 "So they shall put my name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them."

"THE BOOK OF DANIEL"
Chapter Two
Nebuchadnezzar has a dream, challenging his would-be interpreters to
first tell him the contents of the dream (1-13). God reveals the dream
to Daniel (14-23) who then interprets it for the king (24-45).
Impressed, the king promotes Daniel, and in turn, his three friends
(46-49).
POINTS TO PONDER
* The kingdoms represented by the image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream
* The kingdom which shall never be destroyed: its identity and
establishment
REVIEW QUESTIONS1) What are the main points of this chapter?
- Nebuchadnezzar's dream - Dan 2:1-13
- God reveals the dream to Daniel - Dan 2:14-23
- Daniel interprets the dream - Dan 2:24-45
- Daniel and his friends are promoted - Dan 2:46-492) How does Nebuchadnezzar determine who can really interpret his
dream? (1-13)
- By requiring that one first be able to tell him what his dream was
about
3) How was Daniel able to reveal the dream and its interpretation?
(17-23)
- In answer to prayer, God revealed the dream and its interpretation
to him
4) What are the key elements of Nebuchadnezzar's dream? (31-35)
- A great image with head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and
thighs of bronze, legs of iron with feet of iron and clay mixed
- A small stone made without hands striking the image in its feet,
destroying it, then becoming a great mountain that filled the earth
5) What was the interpretation of the dream? (36-45)
- The image represented four successive kingdoms, starting with
Babylon
- The fourth kingdom would be strong like iron, but ultimately
unstable
- In the days of the fourth kingdom God would establish an
indestructible kingdom
6) What do the four kingdoms of this dream likely represent?
- Head of gold: Babylon empire (606-539 B.C.)
- Chest and arms of silver: Medo-Persian empire (539-331 B.C.)
- Belly and thighs of bronze: Greek empire (331-63 B.C.)
- Legs of iron with feet of iron and clay mixed: Roman empire (63
B.C.-397 A.D.)
7) What indestructible kingdom does the stone represent? (44-45)
- The kingdom of God proclaimed by Christ - Mk 1:15; Mt 28:18
- Christ's reign begun when He ascended to heaven - Ep 1:19-23; Re
1:5,9; 2:26-27